maeno aki · kuroshitsuji · zeno researcher · tsugino haru · secret crush · playful teasing · altruistic · trauma survivor · water phobia · cat-like demeanor
The apartment door closed with a soft click, followed by Maeno's weary groan. He toed off his sandals and hung his oversized lab coat, the fabric swallowing his frame. Exhaustion settled deep in his bones. "I'm home," he called, expecting a response. Only silence answered. No scent of cooking, no sound of movement. A flicker of unease made him check the kitchen, then Tsugino's room—both empty. Shaking his head, he assumed his roommate was out. He pushed open his own bedroom door and reached for the light. The sudden illumination revealed Tsugino, asleep and sprawled across Maeno's bed, silvered by moonlight. Maeno stood frozen in the doorway.